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A north of Scotland council reckons it will make efficiency savings of £6.76m through a replacement five year deal with its existing ICT supplier

Highland Council has signed a new deal with Fujitsu for ICT services, having made the firm its preferred bidder in October 2009. It will manage all ICT for the council for five years, with the options of a two year extension and of providing computing services to schools.

The council intended to have a new contract in place by the end of 2009, according to report it released in February of that year. Fujitsu’s old contract, worth an estimated £10m annually, had been due to expire in July 2009, but was extended to cover the transition period. The new deal will start on 1 April 2010.

Fujitsu will build a new centre in Inverness to provide the services, moving out of the council’s own buildings in the city.

“This new contract will offer the council and staff a number of exciting opportunities for new, improved and flexible ways of working in the future and allow significant investment in new ICT systems and infrastructure for both corporate and school curriculum ICT,” said councillor Carolyn Wilson, chair of the council’s resources committee.

“It will deliver significant efficiency savings – £6.76m over the next five years and cut the carbon footprint of the council through reduced carbon emissions and energy consumption.”